Composite structural board

ABSTRACT

A composite structural board is disclosed, which comprises a face plate (2), the face plate (2) having a main body portion (2c) that is substantially in one plane and a peripheral portion (2a) surround the main body portion formed by bending the main body portion downwards, the face plate (2) having an upper surface and a lower surface; the board further comprising a base plate (3) provided with a plurality of substantially uniformly distributed and integrally formed protrusions, the lower surface of the face plate (2) being attached to and supported on top faces of the protrusions; and the board further comprising a stiffener (4) for fixedly connecting the peripheral portion (2a) of the face plate (2) and the base plate (3) together, wherein at least a part of the stiffener (4) is fixedly connected to the base plate (3), and at least another part of the stiffener (4) is fixedly connected to at least a part of a lower surface of the peripheral portion (2a) of the face plate. With the above-described structure, the strength of the composite structural board can be further increased while the number of components is reduced, and the production costs are greatly lowered.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to a composite structural boardcomprised of a stiffener and a plastic board for manufacturingfurniture.

BACKGROUND

As common materials in the furniture manufacturing, solid wood boardsand curved planks may be used to manufacture tables, seat plates andbackrests of chairs, horizontal and vertical partitions of book shelvesor cabinets, drawer plates, and the like. However, these materialsconsume large quantities of wood and is limited by use occasions andservice life.

Nowadays, for the objectives of protecting the environment, reducingproduction costs and the like, more and more plastic boards are used tosubstitute for wooden boards in furniture products. A plastic board maybe formed by injection molding or blow molding. The injection-moldedplastic board typically has a limited strength. Although the blow moldedplastic has a terse appearance and can be easily cleaned, it is of alarge thickness. In particular, for a large-scale furniture product, theblow-molded plastic board needs a long production cycle and thus resultsin low furniture manufacturing efficiency. Moreover, to manufacture alarge blow-molded plastic board, there arises a need for a large mouldand a blow molding machine for performing a complicated manufacturingprocess, incurring high production costs. Metal boards may also be usedfor manufacturing furniture. However, as the machined metal board isdull in color and texture, it has limited applications.

In the Chinese invention patent CN1029877226B owned by the inventor ofthe present application, a table board having a three-layer structure isrevealed, comprising sequentially a face plate, a reinforcement plateand a reinforcement frame located therebetween, where the reinforcementframe is formed by bending a tube with a square cross-section andsupported within an annular hollow cavity formed by the periphery of theface plate and the reinforcement plate while cooperating with the faceplate, the reinforcement plate, and an overlapping part of an upper anda lower flange formed on the face plate and the reinforcement plate, soas to achieve position limiting. Manufacturing such composite boardinvolves bending the periphery of the face plate and the reinforcementplate to form an annular hollow cavity therebetween, and then insertingthe reinforcement frame into the hollow cavity. In the process, threedifferent components need to cooperate with one another, resulting in acomplicated processing process and high costs. Furthermore, thecombination of the three components needs to be further improved inrespect of strength.

Hence, there is a need for a composite structural board having higherstrength and longer service life while processed simply with low costs.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a composite structural board,comprising: a face plate comprising a main body portion that issubstantially flat and a peripheral portion surround the main bodyportion formed by the main body portion extending downwards, the faceplate having an upper surface and a lower surface; a base plate providedwith a plurality of protrusions which are substantially uniformlydistributed and integrally formed, the lower surface of the face platebeing attached to and supported on top faces of the protrusions; and astiffener for fixedly connecting the peripheral portion of the faceplate and the base plate together, wherein a cross-section of thestiffener is of a closed frame shape, at least a part of the closedframe shape is fixedly connected to a bottom surface of the base plate,and at least a part of a vertical surface of the stiffener locatedoutside is fixedly connected to at least a part of a lower surface ofthe peripheral portion of the face plate. Such structure can bring thesuperiority of the plastic board and the stiffener into full play, whichcan enhance significantly the strength of the plastic board, simplifythe manufacturing process and thus reduce the productions costs greatly.

The composite structural plate for use in furniture includes a one-pieceplastic board and a stiffener formed by processing at least one metalsheet, and the plastic face plate, base plate and stiffener can beadhered to one another via an adhesive or in other manners after beingformed. The stiffener can reliably support the plastic face plate andthe peripheral portion of the plastic base plate, thereby providinghigher strength to the composite structural board.

Preferably, the peripheral portion of the face plate extends downwardsalong a direction substantially perpendicular to the main body portionto form an extension portion, the stiffener is a hollow structure with arectangular cross-section, a top surface of the stiffener issubstantially parallel to the main body portion of the face plate andabuts against a lower surface of the base plate to be fixed closely withthe lower surface of the base plate, and a lower end of the verticalsurface protrudes slightly outwards along a horizontal direction to forma flange onto which a free end of the extension portion of the faceplate is supported.

Preferably, an outer periphery of the base plate is a flat portionwithout protrusions, the flat portion is recessed in a direction towardsthe face plate to form a recess portion with a flat bottom surface, therecess portion having a width greater than that of the stiffener, and atop surface of the stiffener is fixedly connected with the bottomsurface of the recess portion of the base plate.

Preferably, an outer periphery of the base plate is a flat portionwithout protrusions, a top surface of the flat portion and the topsurfaces of protrusions are in a same plane, and the portion is clampedbetween the top surface of the stiffener and the lower surface of theface plate.

Preferably, the cross-section of the stiffener presents a hollow framestructure of an upright L shape, a section of the L shape being locatedat an innermost side relative to the peripheral portion of the faceplate and perpendicular to the face plate, a lowermost end of a steppedsurface located outside the L-shaped, hollow frame structure protrudingslightly outwards along a horizontal direction to form an integralflange; the peripheral portion of the face plate extends downwards alonga direction substantially perpendicular to the main body portion to forma stepped extension portion, the step portion matching the steppedsurface of the L-shaped frame structure in shape, a free end of theextension portion being supported on the flange such that an end of theflange is substantially flush with an outer surface of the extensionportion; and an outer periphery of the base plate is a flat portionwithout protrusions, the flat portion being clamped between a topsurface of the stiffener and the lower surface of the face plate.

Preferably, the lower surface of the face plate is adhered to andsupported on the top surfaces of the protrusions by thermal welding.

Preferably, the section of the stiffener is a frame structure of asubstantially double-L shape, the double-L shape having a commonvertical side which extends along a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the main body portion until abutting against the lowersurface of the face plate, and the vertical side is located at an innerside of the peripheral portion and extends along and against an innersurface of the peripheral portion, a bottom side of a L-shaped structurelocated outside the double-L shape and extending laterally outwardsbeing bent upwards around a lowermost end of an extension portion of theperipheral portion to wrap a bottom edge of the peripheral portion.

Preferably, an end of the vertical side of the double-L shape is benthorizontally inwards along a direction substantially parallel to themain body portion to press against an edge of the base plate.

Preferably, a wrapped region of the peripheral portion of the face plateoccupies a fifth, a quarter, or a third of the peripheral portion of theface plate in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main bodyportion.

Preferably, the bottom side wraps the whole edge of the peripheralportion along a circumferential direction of the face plate, or wraps atintervals the edge of the peripheral portion of the face plate.

Preferably, the face plate is a vacuum-formed or injection-moldedplastic plate while the base plate with uniformly distributedprotrusions is a vacuum-formed plastic plate formed integrally.

Preferably, it further comprises an adhesive for attaching the faceplate to the base plate.

Preferably, the stiffener is formed of metal or rigid plastic.

Preferably, the stiffener formed of metal is obtained by bending orrolling a metal sheet.

Preferably, the stiffener is formed of steel.

Preferably, a top surface of the face plate bears a texture of naturalwood or stone.

Preferably, the face plate is formed thereon with a recessedhand-clasping feature.

Preferably, the hand-clasping feature is configured to conform toergonomics.

Preferably, the stiffener is formed by stretching and then crimping orbending.

Preferably, the composite structural board is of a rectangular shape.

Preferably, a flange of the stiffener at its lower side is provided witha wing extending downwards therefrom.

The present disclosure further provides a box, comprising a box bodyconsisting of a front side panel, a rear side panel, a left side panel,a right side panel and a floor panel, wherein at least one of the sidepanels is formed of the composite structural board according to theabove embodiments.

Preferably, the box comprises:

support platforms respectively formed by bottom stiffeners of the frontside panel, the rear side panel, the left side panel and the right sidepanel;

positioning edges respectively formed by a peripheral portion of thefloor panel extending horizontally outwards and respectively located onthe support platforms of the respective side panels; and

floor panel fixing members configured to pass through fixing holesformed in the positioning edges and corresponding mounting holes formedin the support platforms, to fix the positioning edges onto the supportplatforms.

Preferably, adjacent side panels are provided with a limit post and alimit hole, respectively, wherein the limit post is configured to snapinto the limit hole, so that the adjacent side panels are able toconnect with each other a detachably.

Preferably, the left side panel and the right side panel are locatedbetween the front side panel and the rear side panel, and a respectivesides of the left side panel and the right side panel are provided withlimit posts, and inner sides of the front side panel and the rear sidepanel are provided with limit holes flared from top to bottom atrespective positions.

Preferably, a middle portion of the floor panel is recessed downwardsrelative to the positioning edges.

Preferably, the middle portion of the floor panel is formed with aplurality of recessed portions arranged regularly.

Preferably, the floor panel fixing members are formed of plastic.

Preferably, the box further comprises a box lid openable from a top ofthe box body, wherein a rear portion of the box lid is pivotablyconnected to the rear side panel of the box body, and the box lid isformed from the composite structural board according to the aboveembodiments.

Preferably, the box lid is pivotably connected to the rear side panelvia a detachable hinge assembly, the hinge assembly comprising:

a first hinge member fixed to a bottom of a rear stiffener of the boxlid;

a second hinge member fixed into a recess that is formed at a rear sideof a top stiffener of the rear side panel of the box body; and

a pivot member pivotably connected the first hinge member to the secondhinge member.

Preferably, the first hinge member and the second hinge member are ofthe same shape, and both comprise a fixing portion engaged with andfixed to the box lid or the box body, and one or more pivot portionsextending perpendicularly to the fixing portion, wherein the pivotportions are provided therein with through holes extending in parallelwith the fixing portion for pivotably receiving a pivot.

Preferably, when there are multiple pivot portions, the pivot portionsare spaced apart along the fixing portion and the space between thepivot portions is set to receive a respective pivot portion, and thethrough holes in the pivot portions are coaxial to one another.

Preferably, the pivot is provided at a proximal end with a flange havinga size greater than the size of the through hole of the pivot portion,and the pivot at its distal end is provided with one or more cutoutsextending from distal to proximal such that the distal end of the pivotforms a plurality of resilient arms extending from proximal to distaland being capable of bending radially inwards, wherein a radial outersurface of each resilient arm is provided thereon with a protrudingportion which is configured to pass through the through hole of thepivot portion when the resilient arm is at a bent state, and not to passthe through hole of the pivot portion when the resilient arm is at astretched state.

Preferably, each of the cutouts is tapered from distal to proximal andfinally forms a smooth transition.

Preferably, the protrusion portion has a distal guiding bevel and aproximal guiding bevel.

Preferably, the hinge assembly is formed of plastic.

Preferably, the box lid and the box body are provided with a lockingassembly, the locking assembly comprising:

a first locking member fixed to a front portion of the box lid;

a second locking member fixed to the front side panel of the box body;and

a third locking member configured to be pivotably mounted to the firstlocking member.

Preferably, the first locking member is plugged into a bottom of a frontstiffener of the box lid via snap-fit means at its top to form aninverted U shape as a whole, and a top stiffener of the front side panelof the box body is configured to be at least partially received in arecess of the inverted U shape when the box lid is closed.

Preferably, the first locking member is provided at its front portionwith a horizontal connecting rod, and the third locking member isprovided at its top with a hook which is configured to hook onto thehorizontal connecting rod and pivot around the same in a certain range.

Preferably, the second locking member is plugged into the front side ofthe top stiffener of the front side panel of the box body via snap-fitmeans at its rear side, a top portion of the second locking member isbent rearwards to form a horizontal bent portion located at a stepportion formed at the top of the front side panel of the box body, andthe second locking member and the third locking member are configured tobe latched or locked together when the box lid is closed.

Preferably, the locking assembly is formed of plastic.

Preferably, the box is provided with a foldable limit member forlimiting an open angle of the box lid relative to the box body, andwherein the foldable limit member is an elongated rod-like member thatincludes a first end pivotably fixed at a position on an inner side of aside stiffener of the box lid at a distance from the pivot portion ofthe box lid, a second end opposite the first end pivotably fixed at aposition on an inner side of a top stiffener of the respective sidepanel of the box body at a distance from the pivot portion of the boxlid, and a bendable resilient body portion extending between the firstend and the second end.

Preferably, a length of the foldable limit member is sized such that amaximum open angle of the box lid relative to the box body is greaterthan 90° and less than 180°.

Preferably, the body portion is of a flat strip shape suitable forbending, and the first end and the second end are flat end portionsperpendicular to the body portion.

Preferably, the first end and the second end each comprises a lateralprotruding portion, and receiving holes for receiving the protrudingportions are disposed at corresponding positions of the stiffeners ofthe left side panel and/or the right side panel of the box body.

Preferably, the foldable limit member is a one-piece plastic member.

Preferably, the box is provided with a self-positioning assemblyconfigured to arbitrarily remain an open angle of the box lid relativeto the box body, the self-positioning assembly comprising:

a holder fixed onto the top stiffeners of the left side panel and/or theright side panel of the box body, wherein the holder provided thereinwith a chute extending along the vertical direction through a top and abottom surface of the holder, and a retaining hole extending along thehorizontal direction to communicate with the chute and pass through aside surface of the holder facing the inside of the box body;

a support rod having a first end hinged to a respective side stiffenerof the box lid and a second end extending through the chute, wherein thesupport rod is configured to slide and swing in the chute; and

a fastening assembly disposed in the retaining hole for applying apressure to the support rod, wherein the fastening assembly isconfigured to adjust the magnitude of the pressure.

Preferably, an inner surface of the retaining hole is provided with aninternal thread, the fastening assembly comprising:

a compression block disposed in the retaining hole and being movablealong the retaining hole disposed in the same;

a bolt having an external thread which is configured to match with theinternal thread of the retaining hole; and

a resilient piece disposed in the retaining hole between the compressionblock and the bolt, which is configured to apply a resilient force tothe compression block.

Preferably, the resilient piece is a compression spring, the compressionblock is provided thereon with a boss, and the compression spring isnested at one end onto the boss and abuts at the other end against anend of the bolt.

Preferably, the second end of the support rod is provided with a stopperfor preventing the support rod from sliding out of the chute.

Preferably, the self-positioning assembly further comprises a hinge baseconnected to the side stiffener of the box lid, and the first end of thesupport rod is hinged to the hinge base.

Preferably, the hinge base is provided with positioning pins, and theside stiffener of the box lid is provided thereon with a plurality ofpositioning holes distributed along its longitudinal direction forreceiving the positioning pins.

Preferably, the top stiffeners of the left side panel and/or the rightside panel of the box body are provided with locking grooves into whichthe holder can be mounted.

Preferably, the self-positioning assembly is located within a receivingspace formed by the box body and the box lid when the lid is closed.

Preferably, the support rod, the holder and the hinge base are allformed of plastic.

Since the composite structural board according to the present disclosureat its periphery has a closed frame-like stiffener, the compositestructural board has a greatly enhanced bearing capacity and a simplestiffener structure, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process,allowing convenient assembling, and reducing the production costssignificantly. In addition, the composite structural board according tothe present disclosure has no obviously protruding flange, to thus avoidcausing hurt to people or damage to clothing in the surrounding.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a double-layer compositestructural board according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the part A of the double-layer compositestructural board as shown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of a double-layer compositestructural board according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of a third embodiment of adouble-layer composite structural board according to the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a double-layer compositestructural board according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the part C of the double-layer compositestructural board as shown in FIG. 5 ;

FIGS. 7A-7B are sectional views of a stiffener of a composite structuralboard according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, inwhich a wing for blocking water is shown;

FIG. 8 schematically illustrates a top surface of a double-layercomposite structural board according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a schematically illustrates a cabinet assembled fromdouble-layer composite structural boards according to the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 10 is a schematically illustrates a further example cabinetassembled from double-layer composite structural boards according to thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a stiffener in a fifth embodiment of adouble-layer composite structural board according to the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a box according to a preferredembodiment of the present disclosure, including a composite structuralboard according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of the portion A in FIG. 12 ;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the box as shown in FIG. 12 ;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of the portion B in FIG. 14 ;

FIG. 16 is an exploded view of a box according to a preferred embodimentof the present disclosure, where a connection assembly for connectingwith side panels and a floor panel are shown;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of the portion A in FIG. 16 ;

FIG. 18 schematically illustrate the connection between adjacent sidepanels of the box as shown in FIG. 16 ;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged view of the portion B in FIG. 16 ;

FIG. 20 schematically illustrate the connection between the floor paneland a side panel of the box as shown in FIG. 16 ;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a box according to a preferredembodiment of the present disclosure, including a hinge assembly forpivotally connecting a box lid to a box body;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a hinge assembly when a box lid isseparated from a box body;

FIG. 23 is an enlarged view of the portion A in FIG. 22 ;

FIG. 24 is an enlarged view of the portion B in FIG. 22 ;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a pivot member;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a box according to a preferredembodiment of the present disclosure, including a locking assemblyconfigured to reinforce flexural strength of a front side panel of abox;

FIG. 27 is an enlarged view of the portion A in FIG. 26 ;

FIG. 28 is an enlarged view of the portion B in FIG. 26 ;

FIG. 29 is an exploded view of a locking assembly of the box as shown inFIG. 26 ;

FIG. 30 is a sectional view of the box as shown in FIG. 26 with the boxlid is closed on the box body;

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a box according to a preferredembodiment of the present disclosure, including a foldable limit memberfor limiting an open angle of a box lid;

FIG. 32 is an enlarged view of the portion A in FIG. 31 ;

FIG. 33 is a sectional view of the box as shown in FIG. 31 ;

FIG. 34 is an enlarged view of the portion B in FIG. 33 ;

FIG. 35 is a perspective view of a box according to a preferredembodiment of the present disclosure, including a self-positioningassembly configured to position a box lid relative to a box body at anyangle;

FIG. 36 is an enlarged view of the portion A in FIG. 35 ;

FIG. 37 is a sectional view of the self-positioning assembly as shown inFIG. 35 at a exploded state;

FIG. 38 is a sectional view of the self-positioning assembly as shown inFIG. 35 at an assembled state; and

FIG. 39 is an enlarged view of the portion B in FIG. 38 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description about directions in any embodiment, for example,“upper/lower,” “left/right,” “top/bottom,” and the like, is providedmerely based on the drawings for illustration, without suggesting anylimitation to the present disclosure.

In a first embodiment according to the present disclosure as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 , the composite structural board 1 is mainly comprised ofthree components: a face plate 2 facing outwards in normal use, a baseplate 3 fixed to the face plate via an adhesive or any other feasiblemanner, and a stiffener 4 disposed at the peripheral portion of the faceplate 2 and the base plate 3.

The face plate 2 has a main body portion 2 c that is substantially inthe same plane and a peripheral portion 2 a surround the main bodyportion formed by the main body portion bent downwards, and the faceplate 2 includes an upper surface facing outwards in normal use and alower surface facing inwards in normal use. The base plate 3 is providedthereon with a plurality of protrusions or protrusion arrays 3 a formedintegrally and distributed substantially uniformly, where the lowersurface of the face plate 2 is adhered to and supported on top surfacesof the plurality of protrusions 3 a by thermal welding, and acircumferential edge of the base plate 3 abuts against the inner surfaceof the peripheral portion 2 a of the face plate along the horizontaldirection. Preferably, the adhesive is coated over the top surfaces ofthe protrusions 3 a, forming dotted adhesion to the lower surface of theface plate 2.

The face plate 2 may be a vacuum-formed plastic board, or may be formedby an injection process. The base plate 3 may be formed using the sameprocess as the face plate does, and in some embodiments, it may beformed integrally using a blister process. Although truncated conicalprotrusions or protrusion arrays 3 a formed uniformly and alternately onthe base plate 3 are shown in the figure, the protrusions 3 a may be ofvarious shape, depth or arrangement, according to actual needs.

The stiffener 4 is preferably formed of metal, more preferably steel,and it may also be formed of rigid plastic, as long as it can accomplishthe objective of providing enhanced strength to the composite structuralboard.

Although the composite structural board is comprised of threecomponents, as aforementioned, the composite structural board claimed inthe present disclosure that can obviously increase the strength andreduce the number of components is called “double-layer compositestructural board,” because the stiffener 4 between the face plate 2 andthe base plate 4 only located at the periphery of the compositestructural board.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the portion A in FIG. 1 , which shows aspecific structure of the stiffener 4 and the connection between theface plate 2 and the base plate 3. The stiffener 4 in the embodiment isa frame structure with a rectangular or square cross-section, which maybe hollow, i.e., the cross section of the stiffener 4 is a closed frame.The peripheral portion 2 a of the face plate 2 is bent downwards andthen continues to extend downwards. An outermost vertical side of thestiffener 4 is fit with the downward peripheral portion 2 a, and thebottom of the outermost vertical side protrudes slightly outwards alongthe horizontal direction to form an integral flange 4 a onto which afree end 2 b of the downward extension portion of the face plate issupported, such that an end of the flange 4 a is substantially flushwith an outer surface of the extension portion.

More specifically, the peripheral portion 2 a formed by the main bodyportion 2 c of the face plate 2 extending downwards along a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the main body portion 2 c of the faceplate 2 to form an extension portion. The top surface of the stiffener 4is substantially parallel to the main body portion 2 c of the face plate2 and abuts against the lower surface of the base plate 3. The outermostvertical surface of the stiffener 4 abuts against an inner surface of avertical extension portion of the peripheral portion 2 a. The lower endof the vertical surface protrudes outwards to form a flange 4 a, and thefree end 2 b of the extension portion of the face plate 2 is supportedon the flange 4.

Although the stiffener 4 as shown in FIG. 2 has a rectangular or squaresection, it is only for clearly illustrating the position andconfiguration of the stiffener 4. In real products, a ratio of length towidth of the stiffener 4 may be greater or less as required by theactual design. Moreover, the section of the stiffener 4 as shown in FIG.2 is of a closed frame structure. However, in other embodiments, thestiffener 4 may be open at a certain edge, which is presented in astructure of, for example, a back-to-back “double-L shape.”

The top of the stiffener 4 in FIG. 2 may be adhered fixedly to the baseplate 3, for example, via an adhesive or the like, as discussed above,or may be clamped together with the bottom surface of the base plate 3by machining. In order to enable the leftmost side of the stiffener 4 tomore firmly fit with the inner surface of the downwardly extendingperipheral portion 2 a of the face plate 2 and keep it in place, theleft side of the stiffener 4 and the inner surface of the face plate 2may be coated with an adhesive or the like, and connected fixedly bythermal welding after being positioned.

FIG. 2 also illustrates that the outermost side of the base plate 3 is aflat portion without protrusions, and the flat portion is recessedslightly upwards in a direction towards the face plate 2, to form arecess portion 3 b where a bottom surface is flat and a width is greaterthan the width of the stiffener 4, such that the top of the stiffener 4can be placed within the recess portion 3 b to connect fixedly the topsurface of the stiffener 4 and a lower surface of the recess portion 3 bof the base plate 3. The fixed connection here may be achieved byadhesive coating and then thermal welding.

FIG. 2 explicitly shows that a flange 4 a is formed at a lower left partof the stiffener 4, by means of which the stiffener 4 can be positionedand supported reliably relative to the face plate 2.

Specifically, the stiffener 4 has a bottom end, i.e., the lowermostsurface as can be seen in FIG. 2 , which is opposite to the top end ofthe stiffener 4 connected with the face plate 2. After finishing theassembling of the face plate 2, the base plate 3 and the stiffener 4,the lowermost surface of the stiffener 4 forms the bottom end of thedouble-layer composite structural board, which may be, for example, anintegral, continuous reinforced frame, such as a metal frame or a rigidplastic frame. It would be envisioned that the frame may be adiscontinuous or segmented reinforced frame, such as a metal frame orplastic frame.

The width of the reinforced frame is far greater than the width of thelower edge of the face plate 2, thereby reinforcing the strength of thecomposite structural board while supporting the composite structuralboard. In addition, the thickness of the stiffener 4 may be 0.2, 0.4 or1.0 times the thickness of the plastic face plate 2.

FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of the present disclosure. Likein the first embodiment, the composite structural board according to theembodiment is comprised of three components, i.e., a face plate 2 facingoutwards in normal use, a base plate 3 adhering fixedly to the faceplate 2 via an adhesive or in any other feasible manner, and stiffeners4 at least partly disposed between the face plate 2 and the base plate3.

In the second embodiment as shown in FIG. 3 , the face plate 2 at leftand right ends is provided with a stiffener 4 with a section having aninverted L-shaped, hollow frame structure, respectively. The leftstiffener 4 and the right stiffener 4 are arranged symmetrically, and aside of each of the two stiffeners is parallel with the top plate 2 andabuts against the lower surface of the top plate 2. The position wherethe two abut against each other may be coated with an adhesive and thensubjected to thermal welding, so as to further ensure firm bondingtherebetween.

FIG. 4 illustrates a third embodiment of the present disclosure, whererespective components of the double-layer composite structural board areall the same as or similar to those as described in the first and secondembodiments in structure, relative position, connection, and the like.The differences between them are mainly embodied in the following twoaspects.

First of all, a recess portion or a hand-clasping feature 5 is formed onthe face plate 2 or in an outward surface thereof, which is located atthe outermost surface of the furniture assembled from the compositestructural boards, for example, on a door of a cabinet, for users'convenience when opening and closing the door, or for ease of claspingthe composite structural board itself. Preferably, the hand-claspingfeature 5 has a shape conforming to ergonomics to facilitate the user'soperation, thereby improving the user experience.

Secondly, the stiffener 4 is presented in an “L” shape as shown in FIG.3 . A proportion of a vertical portion to a horizontal portion in the Lshape may be adjusted according to the actual needs, and for example,the vertical portion may be longer or shorter than the horizontalportion. In the embodiment, the cross-section of the stiffener 4 is anL-shaped frame structure, and the bottom of the outermost vertical sideof the L shape protrudes outwards to form a flange 4 a on which a freeend 2 b of the peripheral portion 2 a of the face plate 2 extendingdownwardly is stably supported.

More specifically, the cross section of the stiffener 4 is a hollowframe structure 4 of an upright L shape. A vertical side of theL-shaped, hollow frame structure is located adjacent to the innermostside of the protrusions 3 a on the base plate 3, a lowermost end of astepped surface located outside the L-shaped, hollow frame structureprotrudes outwards to form a flange 4 a, the peripheral portion 2 a ofthe face plate 2 is bent continuously downwards along a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the main body portion 2 c to form astepped extension portion, and the stepped portion matches the steppedsurface of the L-shaped frame structure in shape. A free end 2 b of thestepped extension portion of the face plate 2 is stably supported on theflange 4 a.

In the third embodiment as shown in FIG. 4 , the face plate 2 at itsedge (i.e., the peripheral portion 2 a) has a different shape than thecounterpart in the first and second embodiments. As can be seen clearlyfrom FIG. 4 , the peripheral portion 2 a of the face plate matches thestiffener 4 in shape, i.e., the peripheral portion 2 a is fit with theL-shaped structure of the stiffener 4 and thus presented in an L-shapedstructure as well. Due to the shape fitting, the face plate 2 ischangeable in shape and more pleasant in appearance, and a firmconnection between the face plate 2 and the stiffener 4 can also beachieved, thereby enhancing the overall strength of the compositestructural board. Of course, the face plate 2 may be configuredsimilarly to that in the first and second embodiments, i.e., it may bebent only once.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.Like in the first, second and third embodiments, as state above, thecomposite structural board according to the fourth embodiment may becomprised of three components, including: a face plate 2 facing outwardsin normal use, a base plate 3 fixed with the face plate via an adhesiveor in any other feasible manner, and stiffeners 4 at least partlylocated between the face plate 2 and the base plate 3.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the left stiffener 4 and the right stiffener mayhave different cross-section shapes for connecting the face plate andthe base plate 3, according to the actual conditions. Correspondingly,the shape of the face plate 2 may be varied adaptively with theconfiguration of the stiffeners 4. In this way, different assembling maybe performed according to different needs.

The double-layer composite structure according to the fourth embodimentis identical to the one as described in the first embodiment inconfiguration, relative position and connection of respectivecomponents, width and thickness of stiffeners, and the like.

A difference of the fourth embodiment from the first embodiment is:whether the face plate 2 and the base plate 3 abut against each other orare spaced apart in a certain distance. In the first embodiment as shownin FIG. 2 , it can be seen that there is a large gap between the mainbody portion 2 c of the face plate 2 and the base plate 3 above thestiffeners 4, within which one or more reinforcement ribs extendinglaterally or in parallel with the longitudinal direction of thestiffeners 4 may be provided to further increase the strength of thecomposite structural board. In contrast, in the second through fourthembodiments, it can be seen that the main body portion 2 c of the faceplate 2 abuts against the outer periphery of the base plate 3, i.e., atthe position where the base plate 3 and the stiffeners 4 are connected,there is no gap among the face plate, the base plate and the stiffeners.

In addition, FIG. 11 illustrates a fifth embodiment. As shown, thecross-section of the stiffeners 4 is presented in a “double-L shape”structure. The two L shapes share a common vertical side 5. The verticalside 5 extends along a direction substantially perpendicular to the mainbody portion 2 until abutting against the lower surface of the faceplate 2, and the vertical side extends against the inner surface of theperipheral portion 2 a, which is located at the inner side of theperipheral portion 2 a. A bottom side of the L-shaped structure locatedoutside and extending laterally outwards is bent upwards around thelowermost end of the extension portion of the peripheral portion 2 a, towrap the bottom edge of the peripheral portion.

As a preferred embodiment, an end of the vertical side of the double-Lshape structure in the fifth embodiment is bent horizontally inwardsalong a direction parallel to the main body portion 2 c of the faceplate 2 to abut against the edge of the base plate firmly.

The bottom edge of the L-shaped structure located outside of thedouble-L shape and extending laterally outwards wraps tightly at leastpart of the bottom edge of the peripheral portion 2 a of the face plate2, to further ensure a fixed connection therebetween. This can beaccomplished by any existing process or with the aid of any existingtool. The wrapped region occupies, for example, a fifth, a quarter, athird, and the like, of the peripheral portion 2 a of the face plate 2in the vertical direction; and in the lateral direction (i.e., along thecircumferential direction of the face plate 2), it may wrap the wholeedge of the peripheral portion 2 a of the face plate or wrapintermittently the peripheral portion 2 a of the face plate.

In any of the aforementioned embodiments, the end of the flange 4 aextending outwardly may be substantially flush with the outer surface ofthe extension portion of the peripheral portion 2 a. Preferably, theflange 4 a formed is slightly offset outwards relative to the extensionportion of the peripheral portion 2 a, such that the obtained compositestructural board has a relatively gentle outer edge, to avoid scratchingthe user, clothes, or the like.

Likewise, in the fifth embodiment where the cross-section of thestiffeners 4 is a double-L shape structure, the lateral edge locatedoutside the L shape wrapping the lower edge of the peripheral portion 2a is preferably gentle, or is preferably a rounded corner, to avoidscratching the user, clothes, or the like.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate sectional view of a stiffener of thecomposite structural board according to the preferred embodiment of thepresent disclosure, where the flange 4 a of the stiffener at its lowerside may be provided with a wing 4 b extending downwards therefrom.

FIG. 8 illustrates a top surface or outermost surface 1 a of the faceplate 2 of the double-layer composite structural board, which may be aflat, regular surface and used as a top surface 1 a of a cabinet asshown in FIGS. 9 and 10 . Preferably, the top surface 1 a of the faceplate formed of plastic may be attached with a veneer imitating atexture of natural wood or stone, such that the composite structuralboard bears a natural material-like appearance. The surface of thecomposite structural board may also include grooves formed by vacuumforming in various shapes, to obtain a more natural, beautifulappearance. In the circumstance, the complementary surface of thestiffener 4 may be molded with respective grooves to support thevacuum-formed plastic face plate and/or base plate when enhancing thestrength of the composite structural board. Wherein, the stiffener 4 maybe formed by stretching and then crimping or bending.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a cabinet assembled from the compositestructural boards according to any embodiment of the present disclosure.The composite structural board 1 may be used in furniture, for example,as a top plate, base plate, side plate, and the like.

In various embodiments, the plastic face plate and/or base plate may bevacuum formed or injection molded, and the stiffener may be molded orstretch formed.

Features as described in one embodiment of the present disclosure areapplicable to other embodiments. Of course, the composite structuralboard for a cabinet, as described above, may be applied to a table, ashelf, a backrest, a partition plate of a cabinet, a drawer, or otherfurniture components.

FIGS. 12-15 exemplarily illustrate a box 200 assembled from thecomposite structural board according to the present disclosure,including a box lid 210, a floor panel 220 and a plurality of sidepanels which are spliced together from end to end, where a seam 240 isformed between every two adjacent side panels 230. The side panel 230includes a face plate 231 and a stiffener 232 connected with each other.The stiffener 232 is disposed along a peripheral edge of the face plate231. In two side panels 230 adjacent end to end, the stiffener 232 of aside panel 230 is provided with a wing 2321 extending outwards, whichhas an elongated structure disposed vertically and covers the seam 240between the two side panels 230 from the outside.

Preferably, the periphery of the face plate 231 is bent inwardly to forma bent portion 2311 around the stiffener 232 from the outside, and thestiffener 232 is provided thereon with a flange 2322 that pressesagainst an edge of the bent portion 2311. The bent portion 2311 of theface plate 231 is pressed via the flange 2322 on the stiffener 232 suchthat the face plate 231 is fit with the stiffener 232 more closely,making the whole structure more compact and stable. The wing 2321extends downwardly from the lower part of the flange 2322.

Preferably, the box includes four side panels 230 (i.e., a front, arear, a left and a right panel) enclosed in a rectangular framestructure; the box lid 210 is hinged to the rectangular structure, whichis used to cover an upper opening; and the floor panel 220 covers alower opening of the rectangular frame structure. The front and rearside panels 230 clamp the left and right side panels 230, and stiffeners232 of the front and rear side panels 230 are provided thereon with thewing 2321 as described above, i.e., the wing 2321 is provided at bothsides of the stiffener 232 of the front and rear panels 230.

A box or cabinet including the composite structural board according tothe present disclosure may further include the following members orcomponents.

Connection Assembly

FIGS. 16-20 exemplarily illustrate a box 300 assembled from thecomposite structural boards according to the present disclosure. The box300 is of a rectangular hexahedral structure and includes a box lid (notshown), a floor panel 320, and four side panels 330 (including a front,a rear, a left and a right side panel) which are formed of the compositestructural boards according to the present disclosure. Two adjacent sidepanels 330 may be detachably engaged with each other. The bottoms of theside panels 330 are each provided with a support platform 331, and theperipheral portion of the floor panel 320 extends horizontally outwardsto form positioning edges 321 placed on the respective support platforms331 of the front, rear, left and right side panels. The box alsoincludes a plurality of floor panel fixing posts 340 that are configuredto snap fit into the side panels 330 such that the positioning edges 321are pressed onto the support platforms 331. The side panels areremovable relative to each other, and the floor panel 320 may be removedafter removing the floor panel fixing posts 340, thereby enablingconvenient assembling and removal.

Preferably, the box lid, the floor panel 320 and the side panels 330 ofthe box are all plastic boards, and even the floor fixing posts 340 areformed of plastic as well. The positioning edges 321 at the periphery ofthe floor panel 320 are provided thereon with fixing holes, and thesupporting platforms 331 of the side panels 330 are provided thereonwith mounting holes corresponding to the fixing holes. The floor panelfixing posts pass through the fixing holes and the mounting holes to besnap fit into the side panels such that the positioning edges of thefloor panel are pressed against the support platforms of the sidepanels.

Preferably, two adjacent side panels are snap fit into each other via alimit post 350 and a limit hole 360 which are disposed at two adjacentside panels 330, respectively. The limit post 350 is disposed on a sidepanel, which has a thick head 352 at its free end. The limit hole 360 isarranged on the other side panel, which is flared from one end to theother end. The head 352 of the limit post 350 is inserted from the wideend to the narrow end of the limit hole 360.

Preferably, the right and left side panels 330 are clamped between thefront and rear side panels 330, the right and left side panel at theirsides are provided with the limit posts 350, and the front and rear sidepanels at their inner edge positions are provided with a limit holes 360which are flared from top to bottom. During assembling, the limit posts350 of the right and left side panels are inserted from the respectivewide ends of the limit holes 360 of the front and rear side panels 330,and the front and rear side panels 330 move downward, as an effect ofgravity, to cause the heads 352 of the limit posts 350 snap fit into thenarrow ends of the respective limit holes 360, thereby assembling theright and left side panels and the front and rear side panels together.

Preferably, the side panel 330 includes a frame 332 disposed upright,and a panel 333 the periphery of which covers the frame 332. The uppersurface of the bottom edge of the frame 332 forms the support platform331 of the side panel. Preferably, the panel is a vacuum-formed plate,and it is provided with a frame 32 to reduce the thickness of the sidepanel when ensuring the strength thereof, thereby saving the materialand making the box light-weighted. The floor panel 320 is directly snapfit with the upper surface of the frame bottom to implement a simple,solid structure. The limit posts and limit holes are all formed on theframe 332.

Preferably, the face panels 333 of the right and left side panels 330are provided thereon symmetrically with inward grooves 3332, forconvenience when carrying the box.

Preferably, the floor panel 320 is a vacuum-formed plate. Four sides ofthe floor panel 320 are all folded upwards to form ribs 332, and upperedges of the ribs 332 extend horizontally outwards to form thepositioning edges 321. Preferably, the middle portion of the floor panel320 is formed with a plurality of recesses arranged regularly, causingthe support force of the floor panel stronger and the structure morestable.

Hinge Assembly

FIGS. 21-25 exemplarily illustrate a box 400 assembled from thecomposite structural boards according to the present disclosure, inparticular including a hinge assembly pivotably connecting the box lid410 and the box body 420. Preferably, the hinge assembly is formed ofplastic, including a first hinge member 411, a second hinge member 421and a pivot member 430. The first hinge member 411 and the second hingemember 421 are of the same shape and each include a fixing portion 413,423 for engagement with and fixation to the box lid or box body, and oneor more pivot portions 412, 422 extending perpendicularly from thefixing portions 413, 423, which are provided therein with through holes414, 424 extending in parallel with the fixing portion for receivingpivotably a pivot member 430. When there are multiple pivot portions412, 422, the pivot portions 412, 422 are spaced apart along the fixingportions 413, 423 and the space between the pivot portions 412, 422 isadapted to receive the respective pivot portion, and the through holesin the pivot portions are coaxial such that the first hinge member 411and the second hinge member 421 can receive the pivot member 430 in acooperating manner. Preferably, the first hinge member 411 is mountedfixedly onto a bottom of the rear stiffener of the box lid 410; thesecond hinge member 421 is mounted fixedly into a recess at the rearside of the top stiffener of the rear side panel of the box body 421.The first and second hinge members 411, 421 are located to align thethrough hole 414 with the through 424 for receiving the pivot member430. The pivot member 430 is provided with a flange 432 at its proximalend, and one or more V-shaped cutouts 438 formed at its distal endextending from distal to proximal, such that the distal end of the pivotmember 430 is provided with a plurality of resilient arms 434 bendableradially inwards extending from proximal to distal. As such, the pivotmember 430 is formed as a one-piece structure which is resistant tocrush and invulnerable when assembling and detaching the pivot member430. Each resilient arm 434 at its radial outer surface is provided witha protruding portion 436 which is configured to pass through the thoughholes 414, 424 of the pivot portions when the resilient arm 434 is bentradically inwards, and not to pass through the through holes 414, 424 ofthe pivot portions when the resilient arm 434 is in a naturallystretched state. In the course of assembling, the flange 432 and theprotrusion portion 436 fix cooperatively the first hinge member 411located on the box lid and the second hinge member 421 located on thebox body. In this way, the first hinge member 411 and the second hingemember 421 can be pivoted freely around the pivot member 430.

Preferably, there is one V-shaped cutout 438 and two resilient arms 434.

Preferably, an intersection of the resilient arms 434 is a smoothtransition.

Preferably, the pivot member 430 is a one-piece plastic piece, and theprotrusion portion 436 includes a distal guiding bevel 4362 and aproximal guiding bevel 4364, to enable convenient assembling and removalof the pivot member 430.

Preferably, the fixing portions 413, 423 are locked with the box lid andthe box body, respectively, enabling convenient removal of the box lidand the box body if required.

Preferably, the fixing portion 413 on the box lid 410 is located at anedge at the rear side of the underside of the box lid 410. The fixingportion 423 on the box body 420 is located at the top of the rear sidepanel of the box body. Preferably, the top surface of the rear sidepanel at its outer edge is provided with a recess 426 which receivestherein the fixing portion 423. Due to the recess 426, the underside ofthe box lid 410 can be fit with the top surface of the box body 420 whenthe box lid 410 is closed on the box body 420.

It would be appreciated that the pivotable connection structure betweenthe box body and the box lid is not limited to the plastic materialonly, nor is it directed to a plastic box only.

Locking Assembly

FIGS. 26-30 exemplarily illustrate a box 500 assembled from thecomposite structural boards according to the present disclosure. The box500 includes a box body 510 having a rectangular structure and assembledfrom a floor panel and four side panels (including a front, rear, leftand right side panel), and a box lid 520 for covering the opening of thebox body, where the box lid 520 at its rear end is hinged to an upperedge of the rear side panel 511 of the box body 510. The box body 500also includes a locking assembly configured to reinforce the flexuralstrength of the front side panel 512 of the box 510, where the lockingassembly includes: a first locking member 530 fixed to the front portionof the box lid; a second locking member 550 fixed to the front sidepanel of the box body; and a third locking member 540 that can bemounted pivotably to the first locking member 530.

Preferably, the first locking member 530 is inserted via snap-fit meansat its top into the bottom of the front stiffener 522 of the box lid 520to form an inverted U shape as a whole. When the box lid is closed, thetop stiffener 5123 of the front side panel 512 of the box body can bereceived at least partly into a recess of the inverted U shape, therebyimproving the flexural strength of the front side panel 512 of the boxbody.

Preferably, the first locking member 530 at its front is provided with ahorizontal connecting rod 532, and the third locking member 540 at itstop is provided with a hook 541 that can be hooked onto the connectingrod 532 and rotate around it in a certain range.

Preferably, the second locking member 550 is inserted via snap-fit means551 disposed at its rear side into the front side of the top stiffener5123 of the front side panel 512 of the box body. The top of the secondlocking member 550 is bent rearwards to form a horizontal bent portion552 located in a step portion 5127 disposed at the top of the front sidepanel 512 of the box body. When the box lid is closed, the secondlocking member 550 and the third locking member 540 can be latched orlocked together.

Preferably, the box lid 520 is provided therein with a stiffener rod 523for reinforcing the strength of the box lid, which divides the box lid520 into a left and a right portion.

Preferably, the front side panel 512 of the box body 510 is providedtherein with a stiffener rod 5125 for improving the strength of thefront panel, which is disposed upright to divide the front side panel512 into a left and a right portion.

Preferably, the locking assembly is formed of plastic.

Foldable Limit Member

FIGS. 31-34 exemplarily illustrate a box 600 assembled from thecomposite structural boards according to the present disclosure, where abox lid 610 and a box body of the box are hinged together, and the boxbody is assembled from four side panels 620 and a floor panel 630. Thebox 600 further includes a foldable limit member 640 for limiting anopen angle of the box lid 610 relative to the box body. The foldablelimit member 640 is a bendable elongated rod-like member which isprovided with a lateral protruding portion 641 at two ends,respectively. A first receiving hole 6122 is provided on a sidestiffener 612 of the box lid 610 in a certain distance from the pivotportion 640 of the box body, and a second receiving hole 6222 isprovided on a top stiffener 622 of the side panel 620 at the same sideas the first receiving hole 6122 in a certain distance from a pivotportion 650 of the box body. The lateral protruding portions 641 at thetwo ends of the foldable limit member 640 are pivotably inserted intothe first receiving hole 6122 and the second receiving hole 6222. Afteropening the box lid 610, the foldable limit member 640 is stretchedstraight, and connecting lines among three points formed by projectingthe first receiving hole 6122, the second receiving hole 6222, and thepivot portion 650 onto a plane form an obtuse triangle. In other words,the length of the foldable limit member 640 enables the box lid 610 toflip more than 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees relative to the boxbody. In this way, after the box lid 610 is opened, the box lid 610 canbe retained at the opened position due to its gravity and a pullingforce of the foldable limit member.

Preferably, the foldable limit member 640 has a three-section structure,including a resilient body portion 642 in the middle having a flat stripshape suitable for bending, and connection ends 643 at two ends, whichare flat ends. The resilient body portion 642 and the connection ends643 are perpendicular to each other, two lateral protruding portions 641are disposed at the two connection ends 643, respectively, and thelateral protruding portions 641 and the resilient body portion 642 arelocated at opposite lateral sides of the respective connection ends 634,i.e., the foldable limit member 640 is of a bow shape as a whole.

Preferably, the foldable limit member 640 is formed as one piece from PEor HDPE or PP.

Preferably, the foldable limit member 640 is located at the inner sideof the box such that it is disposed inside the box when the box lid 610is closed. In this way, the box has a neat appearance to prevent thefoldable limit member 640 from hooking over other articles when carryingthe box.

Self-Positioning Assembly

FIGS. 35-39 exemplarily illustrates a box 700 assembled from thecomposite structural boards according to the embodiments of the presentdisclosure, where a box lid 750 and a box body are hinged pivotablytogether, and the box body is assembled from side panels 740 and a floorpanel. The box 700 includes a self-positioning assembly for arbitrarilyfixing the box lid 750 in a certain angle range relative to the box bodywhen opened, which includes:

a holder 720 fixed onto top stiffeners 742 of a left side panel 740and/or a right side panel 740 of the box body, which is provided thereinwith a chute 721 extending along the vertical direction through the topand the bottom surfaces of the holder, and a retaining hole 722extending horizontally to communicate with the chute 721 and through aside surface of the holder facing the inside of the box body;

a support rod 710 having an end hinged with a respective side stiffener752 of the box lid 720 and an opposite end extending through the chute721, where the width of the chute 721 is greater than that of thesupport rod 710, such that the support rod 710 can slide vertically andswing back and forth in the chute 721; and

a fastening assembly disposed in the retaining hole 722 for applying apressure to the support rod 710, where a frictional force against thesupport rod 710 caused by the pressure can overcome the gravity of thebox lid 750 to thus hold the box lid at the opened position; when thefrictional force is overcome, the support rod 710 may be slidevertically and swing back and forth in the chute 721; and the magnitudeof the pressure can be adjusted by the fastening assembly.

Preferably, the retaining hole 722 at its inner surface is provided withan internal thread, and the fastening assembly includes:

a compression block 730 disposed in the retaining hole 722 and movablealong the same;

a bolt 770 having an external thread configured to match with theinternal thread of the retaining hole 722;

a resilient piece 760 disposed in the retaining hole 722 between thecompression block 730 and the bolt 770 for applying a resilient force tothe compression block 730. The bolt 770 may be screwed to adjust thepressure applied by the resilient piece 760 to the compression block730, and in turn adjust the frictional force between the compressionblock 730 and the support rod 710.

Preferably, the resilient piece 760 is a compression spring, thecompression block 730 is provided with a boss thereon, and thecompression spring is nested at one end onto the boss and abuts at theother end against the end of the bolt.

Preferably, at the end passing through the chute 721, the support rod710 is provided with a stopper 711 for preventing the support rod 710from sliding out of the chute 721, and the stopper 711 is designed notto pass through the chute 721.

Preferably, the stopper 711 is a hook.

Preferably, the self-positioning assembly also includes a hinge base 780which is connected onto the side stiffener 752 of the box lid 750, andthe support rod 710 at an end is pivotably hinged to the hinge base 780.

Preferably, the hinge base 780 is provided with a positioning pin 781,and the side stiffener 752 of the box lid 750 is provided thereon with aplurality of positioning holes 7521 for receiving the positioning pin781. The positioning pin 781 is plugged in one of the positioning holes7521. Given that there is a plurality of positioning holes 7521, amaximum open angle of the box lid 750 may be preset by plugging thepositioning pin 781 into a selected position hole 7521.

Preferably, the top stiffeners 742 of the left and/or right side panel740 of the box body are provided thereon with a locking groove in whichthe holder 720 can be mounted.

Preferably, when the box lid 750 is closed, the self-positioningassembly is located in a receiving space formed by the box body and thebox lid, to obtain a neater appearance of the box body and thus preventthe support rod 710 from hooking over other surrounding articles.

Preferably, the support rod 710, the holder 720 and the hinge base 780are all formed of plastics.

Multiple embodiments have been provided and described above. Variousmodification and substitution can be implemented without departing fromspirits and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the presentdisclosure is only limited by the appended claims and confined withinits equivalent scope.

I claim:
 1. A structural board, comprising: a face plate comprising aflat main body portion and a peripheral portion around the main bodyportion perpendicular to, and joined at a right angle to the main body;a base plate having a plurality of protrusions, a lower surface of theface plate attached to and supported on a top surface of theprotrusions; a stiffener adjoining the peripheral portion and the baseplate (3); the stiffener having a closed shape cross-section; and a topsurface of the stiffener abutting a bottom surface of the base plate,and the stiffener having an outermost vertical surface contacting atleast a part of the peripheral portion of the face plate.
 2. Thestructural board of claim 1 wherein the stiffener comprises a hollowstructure having a rectangular cross-section, the top surface of thestiffener is parallel to the main body portion, the stiffener having anintegral flange at an intersection of outermost vertical surface and abottom side of the stiffener, the integral flange projectinghorizontally outward from the outermost vertical surface; and a loweredge of the peripheral portion abutting a top surface of the integralflange on the stiffener.
 3. The structural board of claim 2 wherein anouter end of the flange is flush with an outer surface of the peripheralportion.
 4. The structural board of claim 2 wherein the entireperipheral portion is straight and parallel to the outermost verticalsurface of the stiffener.
 5. The structural board of claim 2 wherein theperipheral portion contacts the entire outermost surface of thestiffener above the integral flange.
 6. The structural board of claim 2wherein the base plate has a perimeter portion without protrusions, theperimeter portion having a recess portion with a flat bottom surface,the recess portion has a width greater than the stiffener, and a topsurface of the stiffener is adjoining the bottom surface of the recessportion of the base plate (3).
 7. A structural board, comprising: a faceplate comprising a flat main body portion and a peripheral portionaround the main body portion perpendicular to, the main body; a baseplate having a plurality of protrusions, a lower surface of the faceplate attached to and supported on a top surface of the protrusions; ahollow stiffener adjoining the peripheral portion and the base plate, atop surface of the stiffener parallel to the main body portion andabutting a bottom surface of the base plate, the stiffener having anintegral flange at an intersection of an outermost vertical surface anda bottom surface of the stiffener, the integral flange projectinghorizontally outward from the outermost vertical surface of thestiffener; the peripheral portion straight and parallel to the outermostvertical surface of the stiffener, the stiffener having an outermostvertical surface contacting at least a part of the peripheral portion ofthe face plate, a lower edge of the peripheral portion abutting a topsurface of the integral flange.
 8. The structural board of claim 7wherein the peripheral portion contacts the entire outermost surface ofthe stiffener above the integral flange.
 9. The structural board ofclaim 7 wherein an outer end of the flange is flush with an outersurface of the peripheral portion.
 10. A structural board comprising: aface plate comprising a flat main body portion and a peripheral portionaround the main body portion perpendicular to the main body; a baseplate having a plurality of protrusions, a lower surface of the faceplate attached to and supported on a top surface of the protrusions; astiffener adjoining the peripheral portion and the base plate, thestiffener having a hollow closed shape cross-section, a top surface ofthe stiffener parallel to the main body portion and abutting a bottomsurface of the base plate, the stiffener having an integral flange at anintersection of an outermost vertical surface and a bottom surface ofthe stiffener, the integral flange projecting horizontally outward fromthe outermost vertical surface of the stiffener; the entire peripheralportion straight and parallel to the outermost vertical surface of thestiffener, the stiffener having an outermost vertical surface contactingat least a part of the peripheral portion of the face plate, a loweredge of the peripheral portion abutting a top surface of the integralflange; and the peripheral portion contacting the entire outermostsurface of the stiffener above the integral flange.